- Èric Gené finished second in qualifying and achieved a remarkable fourth place in the first race.
- The Catalan climbs to third place in the drivers’ standings, while Monlau Motul maintains second place in the teams’ standings after a difficult race.
- Jenson Brickley makes a great comeback, but suffers two punctures that affect his performance in both heats.
- “Spa is a very demanding circuit, and our drivers set a good pace. Èric did a magnificent job, showing consistency and maturity. Jenson was very fast despite having never raced on this track; it’s a shame the punctures prevented him from fully realizing his speed,” says David Simón, Monlau Motul team manager.
- “The work of our drivers, mechanics, and engineers was very positive. We will continue working to improve in the upcoming races and ensure they can make the most of their talent,” said Jaime Serrano, CEO of Monlau Motul.
The second round of the TCR Europe 2025 took the Monlau Motul Technical School to the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium. A circuit as spectacular as it was demanding, the Barcelona-based team once again demonstrated its competitiveness. At the wheel of their respective CUPRA León VZ TCRs, Èric Gené and Jenson Brickley faced numerous challenges at the Belgian round. Gené, who came close to a podium finish in the opening round, climbed from eighth to third in the championship—second among rookie drivers —and entered the fight for the title, while Monlau Motul retained second place in the teams’ standings.
The event kicked off on Thursday with two free practice sessions, which allowed the team to fine-tune the setup of their CUPRA León VZ TCRs. On Friday, in qualifying, Gené completed an excellent lap with a time of 2:27.234, just 0.050 seconds off pole position . However, a penalty he had been carrying over from the opening race in Portugal relegated him to seventh on the grid. Brickley, making his debut at this track, finished 16th after being eliminated from Q2 for exceeding track limits.
In the first race, Gené put on a true exhibition of driving skills. The Catalan climbed up positions with a solid and consistent pace. After a restart prompted by the safety car , he took advantage of the situation to move up to fourth and fight for the podium all the way to the checkered flag. Brickley, meanwhile, made a brilliant start and made up several places, but an unfortunate puncture put him out of contention.
The second race, with a reversed grid compared to the qualifying results, presented a new challenge. Gené started ninth and, with an intelligent strategy, avoided incidents until crossing the finish line in eighth position, very close to seventh. Brickley once again demonstrated his ability to fight back in the opening meters, but a puncture in the closing stages relegated him to 15th place.
David Simón , team manager of Monlau Motul Technical School, commented on the drivers’ results: “ Spa is a very complicated circuit, and our drivers proved to be up to the task. Èric achieved a brilliant second place in qualifying, very close to the best time. He showed great pace, consistency, and maturity in both races; he scored points and avoided incidents on a very competitive grid. As for Jenson, he was making his debut at Spa and had to face the difficulties of such a complex circuit. Despite the punctures, he made excellent comebacks and was very fast. We know he has the talent to be at the front .”
Jaime Serrano , CEO of Monlau Motul, highlighted the team’s performance: “The work of our drivers, mechanics, and engineers was very positive. Èric took a step forward and will certainly compete for the championship title. Jenson also has the speed to be in the fight, and although luck wasn’t on his side this time, we are confident in his potential. We will continue working to improve in the upcoming rounds and ensure that both drivers can make the most of their talent .”
The next TCR Europe round will be at the Hockenheimring in Germany, from June 6 to 8. A new challenge for the Monlau Motul Technical School in its fight for the drivers’ and teams’ championships.
Spa-Francorchamps Standings:
https://europe.tcr-series.com/index.php/events/tcr-europe-series/item/spa-francorchamps
TCR Europe General Standings:
https://europe.tcr-series.com/index.php/tcrstandings
